1989 Volkswagen T25 Westfalia California
Discussion
Rear-engine,d RWD, turbocharged, dog-leg gearbox, it's all pretty PH so thought I'd do a thread so you can share in my joy and misery and I can hopefully pick up some wisdom along the way.
This is me as a small child in the mid-90s with my families beloved 1982 Devon Moonraker (I never knew NASA was quite so into brown patterned fabric). I have many happy memories of driving down to Spain with the aircooled engine thrumming away.
Often on these trips I'd see Westfalias and other Euro-spec vans and thought they seemed impossibly cool next to our rather mode dowdy van (although the neon swoosh definitely helped in my mind, lost in a later repaint sadly)
If you've spent as much time on Youtube as I do, you might have seen the love for Vanagon Westfalias on various "Vanlife" channels (Living The Van Life is worth a watch for excellent cinematography and scenery)
In America and Europe these vans have a serious cult following and have become rather pricey. The Westfalia conversions are incredibly designed and built putting much more modern stuff to shame.
In 1989 Westfalia introduced the original California (and Atlantic, higher spec models) before the the T4 took over (In the UK we call it a T25 for reasons I'm not entirely clear on, but it's what I've always known them as, but T3 is often used elsewhere)
https://westfaliat3.info/html/westfalia_t3_califor...
For most vehicles I like the earliest examples more than facelifts in general, but I think the T25 is at its best with the quad square headlamps and bigger bumpers. I'm also a sucker for Porsche wheels on old VWs so when this popped up I was immediately taken by it.
I definitely didn't need another vehicle, but I couldn't help but ask after it since it looked so clean in the photos. Finding out there was some Youtube videos on it showing that it wasn't some hastily repainted rot box and I was already in too deep.
There are 3 videos in the series which go into the work they did and for me illustrate that the van is surprisingly clean compared to many and very original.
The chap I bought it from got it at the start of last year and spent some money on it, including the big bumper kit, lowering and the Porsche wheels as well as a new roof canvas and some interior trim. To some it'll be a shame that some originality is lost, but it's al reversible and I think it looks good.
Thankfully these vans are significantly cheaper in the UK, probably because they're all LHD and almost all are imports, but it's still the most I've spent on a vehicle by far. Also being over 200 miles away was a concern given the van has done very little mileage in recent years.
Armed with a one way ticket and some trepidation I found myself in Worksop.
The van looked good, ran well and so the deal was done and I set off South.
Initial impressions were that it drove well, the combination of a dog-leg box, LHD and a seating position over the front axle was always going to be a learning curve, but I settled into it nicely taking it easy and slowly at first. The little 1.6td does surprisingly well, but it's still an exercise in planning and acceptance. Using the box was fine too, talking myself through the gears so that I wasn't lost when needing to drop a couple helped, the long lever and its distance from the box makes for a vague shift.
The stereo is an awful Mutant and the aerial came off in my hand rather than extending as hoped, but otherwise it sart happily on the motorway at 60-65.
One life Live it.
As I got within 50 miles of home I was feeling good and then the van filled with an acrid smoke, thankfully I managed to get over from the middle lane and to a well placed emergency lay-by where I got my first taste of using one of those SOS phones. They advised me to call for breakdown and that they'd send a motorway patrol officer. I headed back to the van since the M5 was too loud to really hear my phone to realise it had filled with smoke once again and there were flames licking out from beneath the driver's seat. I ran back to the SOS phone to inform them that it was now a fire and that yes there was an LPG tank on board and I had no idea if there was any gas in it.
It was only then that I could really process the situation, stood staring at the van knowing I couldn't get any closer and expecting to see it reduced to scrap imminently whilst hoping that the fire service would arrive quickly and hopefully save it.
There was no smoke or sign of large flames though, but I couldn't bring myself to hope. Motorway patrol arrived followed by the fire service (I think there 4 Fire trucks at one point) and quickly established there was no imminent cause for concern (once I'd emptied the large quantity of spares on to p ov the engine cover into the lay-by). both the Fire Service and Motorway Patrol were excellent and I cannot thank them enough.
The AA were quick to arrive since I was deemed high priority and the driver of the low-loader was very nice establishing that dropping me for later roadside assistance wasn't going to be much use, taking me home instead.
And that brings us up to date. I am going to get the whole leisure electrical system looked at by a specialist and I suspect will probably look to modernise and upgrade it to avoid such an event again. Oh and I've purchased a fire extinguisher.
This is me as a small child in the mid-90s with my families beloved 1982 Devon Moonraker (I never knew NASA was quite so into brown patterned fabric). I have many happy memories of driving down to Spain with the aircooled engine thrumming away.
Often on these trips I'd see Westfalias and other Euro-spec vans and thought they seemed impossibly cool next to our rather mode dowdy van (although the neon swoosh definitely helped in my mind, lost in a later repaint sadly)
If you've spent as much time on Youtube as I do, you might have seen the love for Vanagon Westfalias on various "Vanlife" channels (Living The Van Life is worth a watch for excellent cinematography and scenery)
In America and Europe these vans have a serious cult following and have become rather pricey. The Westfalia conversions are incredibly designed and built putting much more modern stuff to shame.
In 1989 Westfalia introduced the original California (and Atlantic, higher spec models) before the the T4 took over (In the UK we call it a T25 for reasons I'm not entirely clear on, but it's what I've always known them as, but T3 is often used elsewhere)
https://westfaliat3.info/html/westfalia_t3_califor...
For most vehicles I like the earliest examples more than facelifts in general, but I think the T25 is at its best with the quad square headlamps and bigger bumpers. I'm also a sucker for Porsche wheels on old VWs so when this popped up I was immediately taken by it.
I definitely didn't need another vehicle, but I couldn't help but ask after it since it looked so clean in the photos. Finding out there was some Youtube videos on it showing that it wasn't some hastily repainted rot box and I was already in too deep.
There are 3 videos in the series which go into the work they did and for me illustrate that the van is surprisingly clean compared to many and very original.
The chap I bought it from got it at the start of last year and spent some money on it, including the big bumper kit, lowering and the Porsche wheels as well as a new roof canvas and some interior trim. To some it'll be a shame that some originality is lost, but it's al reversible and I think it looks good.
Thankfully these vans are significantly cheaper in the UK, probably because they're all LHD and almost all are imports, but it's still the most I've spent on a vehicle by far. Also being over 200 miles away was a concern given the van has done very little mileage in recent years.
Armed with a one way ticket and some trepidation I found myself in Worksop.
The van looked good, ran well and so the deal was done and I set off South.
Initial impressions were that it drove well, the combination of a dog-leg box, LHD and a seating position over the front axle was always going to be a learning curve, but I settled into it nicely taking it easy and slowly at first. The little 1.6td does surprisingly well, but it's still an exercise in planning and acceptance. Using the box was fine too, talking myself through the gears so that I wasn't lost when needing to drop a couple helped, the long lever and its distance from the box makes for a vague shift.
The stereo is an awful Mutant and the aerial came off in my hand rather than extending as hoped, but otherwise it sart happily on the motorway at 60-65.
One life Live it.
As I got within 50 miles of home I was feeling good and then the van filled with an acrid smoke, thankfully I managed to get over from the middle lane and to a well placed emergency lay-by where I got my first taste of using one of those SOS phones. They advised me to call for breakdown and that they'd send a motorway patrol officer. I headed back to the van since the M5 was too loud to really hear my phone to realise it had filled with smoke once again and there were flames licking out from beneath the driver's seat. I ran back to the SOS phone to inform them that it was now a fire and that yes there was an LPG tank on board and I had no idea if there was any gas in it.
It was only then that I could really process the situation, stood staring at the van knowing I couldn't get any closer and expecting to see it reduced to scrap imminently whilst hoping that the fire service would arrive quickly and hopefully save it.
There was no smoke or sign of large flames though, but I couldn't bring myself to hope. Motorway patrol arrived followed by the fire service (I think there 4 Fire trucks at one point) and quickly established there was no imminent cause for concern (once I'd emptied the large quantity of spares on to p ov the engine cover into the lay-by). both the Fire Service and Motorway Patrol were excellent and I cannot thank them enough.
The AA were quick to arrive since I was deemed high priority and the driver of the low-loader was very nice establishing that dropping me for later roadside assistance wasn't going to be much use, taking me home instead.
And that brings us up to date. I am going to get the whole leisure electrical system looked at by a specialist and I suspect will probably look to modernise and upgrade it to avoid such an event again. Oh and I've purchased a fire extinguisher.
Northbrook said:
That seems like a fortunate escape!
I'm glad there was (presumably) no irretrievable damage caused. Looking forward to the installments where you can get out doing camper stuff :-)
Thanks. Me too, although that seems a little further away than first planned.I'm glad there was (presumably) no irretrievable damage caused. Looking forward to the installments where you can get out doing camper stuff :-)
jeremyc said:
You appear to be missing something. 
Tempting, but I think I'll resist those and the various "comedy" stickers available.Patrick Magooagain said:
I once owned a red VW van very similar to yours.
I hated it and it gave me much grief.
You on the other hand have struck lucky by it being lhd. This means it's worth a fair bit more in Europe.
You could sell it at profit and save yourself money and heartache.
Haha, I can definitely understand why it's not for some, it's an awfully long way from a modern van. It might not be for me, but as you say I shouldn't lose any money on it and I wanted to have one whilst they're still affordable.I hated it and it gave me much grief.
You on the other hand have struck lucky by it being lhd. This means it's worth a fair bit more in Europe.
You could sell it at profit and save yourself money and heartache.
Having spent much time and money on the most expensive vehicle, i've ever purchased, it is now finally getting to where I want it to be (a house move definitely slowed progress somewhat).
Any old vehicle that's barely been used over the last few years is going to need to some work in order to be used as intended and that is definitely true of my Westy. The previous owner had not been shy in spending a lot of money, but not always successfully.
Engine
Blue smoke when cold, a stuck wastegate and oil up the tailgate to the extent that it would need a top up every 100 miles or so. It'd had a new oil pump and turbo oil lines, but the main issues seemed to be the turbo itself and the seal on the dipstick tube which was spitting oil. £2 and 10 minutes for the seal and rather more for a new turbo from Brickwerks and all is well. People complain about the little JX engine, but when it's going well it has just enough power and is fairly good on fuel for an 80s 2+ ton brick. I was worried it was past it, but a little love and it has been transformed
Suspension and wheels
When I first bought it the ride was very crashy and the Boxster wheels rubbed the arches quite often. A bit of investigation showed that the H&R springs were not up to the job and were binding up with the Gaz shocks set to maximum stiff in an attempt to compensate.
I solved the most pressing issue.
Then ordered some AVO -70mm springs to suit the short Gaz shocks which ended up sitting higher than the -50mm H&Rs (a TD Westy is not a light van), went down to an 8/20 on the damping fitted new 928S 16s
The fronts required some 7mm spacers to clear the suspension and longer studs to suit, but the ride is now lovely and I no longer fear pot holes. I'd like to go bigger on the tyres to up the gearing closer to factory as well as lose the mismatched tyres.
The standard big rectangle on a long stick mirrors adjusted by a ball and socket are an awful piece of design and at motorway speeds they like to adjust themselves to the point of being useless. Fancy vans got heated, electric mirrors which now command good money used, but I found a tatty set in orange and painted them with texture black and fitted them (involving the purchase of a rivnut tool too add the third lower bolt)
They also suit the big bumpers much better
Steering wheel
A new steering wheel was high on my list from the start since the original makes it quite uncomfortable to brake if you're tall. As a PAS equipped van you can get a way with a much smaller wheel and one of my favourites is an almost bolt on swap (once you've spaced out the horn contacts and added a touch more to the main bushing). I found a brown 944 wheel at a decent price and re-dyed it to suit.
Stereo
The horrible Halfords junk that came with the van was both ugly and didn't work very well. The aerial had also been snapped off. I fitted a New Blaupunkt unit with DAB and Bluetooth alongside a new aerial. I also replaced the ashtray with a phone mount that flips open and comes in a suitably retro textured finish,
Camper bits
The original fridge got binned by the previous owner for a compressor style which runs from a leisure battery or hookup (that he kept). I found an original fridge which runs from the same LPG tank that runs the heater and stove, but also works on hookup or 12v when driving. i got Coast VW in Devon to fit and test it since they seem to know a fair bit about these vans and gas scares me.
I also pissed about with sink and heater to get them functioning correctly and otherwise all is very original and in great shape inside
Camping
Once I was happy that everything engine and suspension wise was all sorted and not about to rattle loose it was time to go camping. A few days in Gower was an excellent first test and the van performed perfectly. bigger adventures are definitely on the cards now. The design of these conversions really is special, they are built and thought out in a way most modern vans don't get close to.
As ever there is plenty I'd like to do and so many accessories that could be bought, but for now I'm just glad we can enjoy it as it ought to be enjoyed.
Any old vehicle that's barely been used over the last few years is going to need to some work in order to be used as intended and that is definitely true of my Westy. The previous owner had not been shy in spending a lot of money, but not always successfully.
Engine
Blue smoke when cold, a stuck wastegate and oil up the tailgate to the extent that it would need a top up every 100 miles or so. It'd had a new oil pump and turbo oil lines, but the main issues seemed to be the turbo itself and the seal on the dipstick tube which was spitting oil. £2 and 10 minutes for the seal and rather more for a new turbo from Brickwerks and all is well. People complain about the little JX engine, but when it's going well it has just enough power and is fairly good on fuel for an 80s 2+ ton brick. I was worried it was past it, but a little love and it has been transformed
Suspension and wheels
When I first bought it the ride was very crashy and the Boxster wheels rubbed the arches quite often. A bit of investigation showed that the H&R springs were not up to the job and were binding up with the Gaz shocks set to maximum stiff in an attempt to compensate.
I solved the most pressing issue.
Then ordered some AVO -70mm springs to suit the short Gaz shocks which ended up sitting higher than the -50mm H&Rs (a TD Westy is not a light van), went down to an 8/20 on the damping fitted new 928S 16s
The fronts required some 7mm spacers to clear the suspension and longer studs to suit, but the ride is now lovely and I no longer fear pot holes. I'd like to go bigger on the tyres to up the gearing closer to factory as well as lose the mismatched tyres.
The standard big rectangle on a long stick mirrors adjusted by a ball and socket are an awful piece of design and at motorway speeds they like to adjust themselves to the point of being useless. Fancy vans got heated, electric mirrors which now command good money used, but I found a tatty set in orange and painted them with texture black and fitted them (involving the purchase of a rivnut tool too add the third lower bolt)
They also suit the big bumpers much better
Steering wheel
A new steering wheel was high on my list from the start since the original makes it quite uncomfortable to brake if you're tall. As a PAS equipped van you can get a way with a much smaller wheel and one of my favourites is an almost bolt on swap (once you've spaced out the horn contacts and added a touch more to the main bushing). I found a brown 944 wheel at a decent price and re-dyed it to suit.
Stereo
The horrible Halfords junk that came with the van was both ugly and didn't work very well. The aerial had also been snapped off. I fitted a New Blaupunkt unit with DAB and Bluetooth alongside a new aerial. I also replaced the ashtray with a phone mount that flips open and comes in a suitably retro textured finish,
Camper bits
The original fridge got binned by the previous owner for a compressor style which runs from a leisure battery or hookup (that he kept). I found an original fridge which runs from the same LPG tank that runs the heater and stove, but also works on hookup or 12v when driving. i got Coast VW in Devon to fit and test it since they seem to know a fair bit about these vans and gas scares me.
I also pissed about with sink and heater to get them functioning correctly and otherwise all is very original and in great shape inside
Camping
Once I was happy that everything engine and suspension wise was all sorted and not about to rattle loose it was time to go camping. A few days in Gower was an excellent first test and the van performed perfectly. bigger adventures are definitely on the cards now. The design of these conversions really is special, they are built and thought out in a way most modern vans don't get close to.
As ever there is plenty I'd like to do and so many accessories that could be bought, but for now I'm just glad we can enjoy it as it ought to be enjoyed.
Northbrook said:
Very nice!
Thanks! 
DaveyBoyWonder said:
Right up my street - lovely looking 25
Cheers. It gets a surprising amount of love from people despite being somewhatf the unloved generation.Cambs_Stuart said:
That is brilliant. The front seats and dash look amazing.
How many does it sleep? We've got a Peugeot Boxer camper, which is OK, but I definitely think the interior space could be used better. And by the sound of things it's no faster.
Thanks. 4 with two on the fold down rear bench and two in the roof. It's a great bit of packaging, but the lower bed is definitely not wide. I'd quite like a Ducato or similar to have a garage for bikes, but I think I'd miss the small footprint of the T25.How many does it sleep? We've got a Peugeot Boxer camper, which is OK, but I definitely think the interior space could be used better. And by the sound of things it's no faster.
Edited by W00DY on Wednesday 28th June 14:30
Cambs_Stuart said:
We got the boxer when my children got too big to go in the roof of a high top toyota regius.
While it's got a lot more space, it's always slightly worrying trying to get it down a single track road to the out-of-the-way campsites I like.
I can imagine it would be tough in some areas, certainly on my recent trip there were a few tight spots I wouldn't have liked to get a bigger van through.While it's got a lot more space, it's always slightly worrying trying to get it down a single track road to the out-of-the-way campsites I like.
Scoobydrew95 said:
That is looking absolutely fantastic. Something like you said about a T25 on Porsche wheels. Definitely prefer the latter additions. Glad to see the damage was limited and not a complete disaster.
Reminds me i need to order a fire extinguisher for my car.
Thanks. Aside from a bit of scorching to the seat it's all cleaned up well and the van is forgiven. Definitely worth it to avoid the helpless feeling of waitng for the fire service.Reminds me i need to order a fire extinguisher for my car.
austinsmirk said:
I’ve had these back in the day. I don’t like them much but the ones I do like are the model you’ve bought.
Well done. Most are horrible junk that want crushing
You bought a lovely nice looking useable one
Top work.
Cheers. I get why people don't like them, vans have come a long way in the last 30 years. I wouldn't have bought anything other than a Westfalia in decent condition, nothing else comes closeWell done. Most are horrible junk that want crushing
You bought a lovely nice looking useable one
Top work.
Thought I'd add some shots of the interior. For 34 years and 140k miles it is insane how tidy the interior is.
The pivoting and rotating table is such a great feature
The bed is very easy to use, just pull the black knob and lift the bench towards you,
The top bunk simply folds in half for headroom and storage. The canvas was replaced by the last owner, it's a 3 window with fly screens.
Even the original curtains are in fantastic shape. I'm tempted to swap the fluorescent tubes for LEDs to give brighter lighting and less power usage
The heater lives under the bed (still plenty of storage room, the timer screen has bled though and sometimes needs a push to display properly. is there a fix to be done? replacement timers are available for €300+, but hoping to avoid that (obviously not a worry in current weather)
The pivoting and rotating table is such a great feature
The bed is very easy to use, just pull the black knob and lift the bench towards you,
The top bunk simply folds in half for headroom and storage. The canvas was replaced by the last owner, it's a 3 window with fly screens.
Even the original curtains are in fantastic shape. I'm tempted to swap the fluorescent tubes for LEDs to give brighter lighting and less power usage
The heater lives under the bed (still plenty of storage room, the timer screen has bled though and sometimes needs a push to display properly. is there a fix to be done? replacement timers are available for €300+, but hoping to avoid that (obviously not a worry in current weather)
What a lovely old bus, cool as f*ck! 
Brilliantly designed and simple to work on, a complete contrast to my bus, which I doubt will get to half the age of yours.
I learnt to drive in an old T25 so special memories and definitely on my bucket list to own one day.
My T6 has a leaking egr cooler, leaking front crank oil seal (2nd time in 40k miles) and needs pads/discs/tyres all round, I’m basically working for nothing this month
Brilliantly designed and simple to work on, a complete contrast to my bus, which I doubt will get to half the age of yours.
I learnt to drive in an old T25 so special memories and definitely on my bucket list to own one day.
My T6 has a leaking egr cooler, leaking front crank oil seal (2nd time in 40k miles) and needs pads/discs/tyres all round, I’m basically working for nothing this month
anonymous said:
[redacted]
Thanks! My partner won't drive it and I don't mind really. LHD, dog leg manual and 2+ tons with 69bhp, no rev counter and you're sat on top of the front axle, so there's a lot to think about if you aren't used to it.DirktheDaring said:
What a lovely old bus, cool as f*ck!
Brilliantly designed and simple to work on, a complete contrast to my bus, which I doubt will get to half the age of yours.
I learnt to drive in an old T25 so special memories and definitely on my bucket list to own one day.
My T6 has a leaking egr cooler, leaking front crank oil seal (2nd time in 40k miles) and needs pads/discs/tyres all round, I’m basically working for nothing this month
Thanks. It is nice to remember how much space to work cars used to have and how few extra systems were involved. Brilliantly designed and simple to work on, a complete contrast to my bus, which I doubt will get to half the age of yours.
I learnt to drive in an old T25 so special memories and definitely on my bucket list to own one day.
My T6 has a leaking egr cooler, leaking front crank oil seal (2nd time in 40k miles) and needs pads/discs/tyres all round, I’m basically working for nothing this month
Shame about the T6, they are lovely to drive and very practical when they work well, but I've sworn off modern diesels for now and gone back to a petrol daily, there are fewer headaches.
Few more bits done to the van, slowly improving it and making it as good as it can be.
New plates to replace the cracked originals, went with UK legal pressed metal for that Euro vibe.
Also drilled the rear plate surround so that the plate sits higher and between the lights rahter than looking a little low.
Mananged a free fix by stripping fdown the floppy passenger armrest and re-positioning the wayward internals. Check out that genuine VW plywood!
Bought a set of new tyres after much time spent on tyre calculators trying to get something that fit the van and wheels well whilst also being the correct diameter to sort the gearing out and proper van rated tyres. Went with Nankangs to keep the spend to about half the fancy stuff and who can resist a tyre called "Passion". £311 well spent.
The 'savings were spent on a wind out Fiamma awning, which had a rather horrible grubby white case, but an immaculate canvas with a great 90s pattern. I spent far too much time stripping and repainting it, but it was worth it.
And I now have a genuine VW key fob, which I think looks great and at £6 seems pretty good value.
New plates to replace the cracked originals, went with UK legal pressed metal for that Euro vibe.
Also drilled the rear plate surround so that the plate sits higher and between the lights rahter than looking a little low.
Mananged a free fix by stripping fdown the floppy passenger armrest and re-positioning the wayward internals. Check out that genuine VW plywood!
Bought a set of new tyres after much time spent on tyre calculators trying to get something that fit the van and wheels well whilst also being the correct diameter to sort the gearing out and proper van rated tyres. Went with Nankangs to keep the spend to about half the fancy stuff and who can resist a tyre called "Passion". £311 well spent.
The 'savings were spent on a wind out Fiamma awning, which had a rather horrible grubby white case, but an immaculate canvas with a great 90s pattern. I spent far too much time stripping and repainting it, but it was worth it.
And I now have a genuine VW key fob, which I think looks great and at £6 seems pretty good value.
Edited by W00DY on Tuesday 25th July 22:13
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